EXCEL Sport Program 

Year 10 EXCEL Sport Girls Melbourne Storm Junior Mascot 

On the 3rd of August the Year 10 EXCEL Sport girls were given the opportunity to run out onto AAMI Park with the St. George Illawarra Dragons NRL Team at the Storm vs Dragons game. We got to do this because we went undefeated in the NRL State Tag titles and won the event. When we arrived at the AAMI Park stadium we were met by the Game Development Officer for the Melbourne Storm, Ali Tuai. We each received a Women in Sport top and socks to wear on the field. We were taken back to the coaches change rooms and got to see some of the behind the scenes and all the hard work that goes into a match. When the game was about to start, we lined up in the tunnel under AAMI Park and then ran onto the field alongside the players. From there we were able to watch a thrilling match where the Dragons defeated the Storm by 2 points. This was a once in a lifetime experience that created unforgettable memories for us girls and everyone was so grateful for the opportunity.  

Ayla O

Rugby 7s Cattermole Cup

On Friday the 6th of September, our Year 8 and a combination of Year 9 and 10 EXCEL Sport girls went to Box Hill to participate in the Rugby 7s Cattermole Cup. This competition is for females from both Independent and Government Schools. The day started with a clinic from Rugby Victoria coaches who gathered all the participants into age groups, and then rotated everyone through three sections of warmup skills and drills. The competition began at around 10am. Patterson River Secondary College 9/10s came out with the first win of the day against Geelong Secondary College with the scores being 3-2. As the day continued there were a lot of wins and draws, which eventually led to us finishing on the top due to not losing a game. We were crowned the Year 9/10 Cattermole Cup Girls Rugby 7s Champions. The Year 8 girls also had a successful day winning most of their games. All the girls had heaps of fun and gained lots of knowledge towards the game and are very grateful to have had the opportunity to compete in the Rugby 7s Cattermole Cup. 

Shia R and Ciera D

Herald Sun Shield – AFL Nines Year 7 and 8 Secondary School Tournament

On Friday 6th September, the Year 7 EXCEL Sport class and the Year 8 Boys EXCEL Sport class participated in the inaugural AFL 9’s competition in Caulfield. 

With schools both private and government attending, it was a great way to test the skills of our junior athletes in a way that was different to what they are accustomed too.   

Our Year 7 EXCEL Sport girls’ team were wonderful albeit a little hesitant at the beginning of the day.  Once they got the hang of it and played it competitively, there was no stopping them.  Being such a supportive group of young women to each other, they assisted each other gaining some massive wins over AFL dominant schools.  After only dropping 1 game in the round robin, they made it to the Grand Final against St Michels College and unfortunately lost to a team that has been playing together for 6 months.  I was extremely proud of their efforts and adaptability.  Their persistence throughout the day did not waiver and I believe they got better throughout each game.  I was very proud of them.   

The Year 7 EXCEL Boys were equally as impressive.  They adjusted beautifully to the rules of AFL 9’s and were dominant all day as they worked seamlessly as a team.  The team did get tested throughout the day but rose to every challenge and really lifted their performance to get every win.  In the round robin component of the day, they were undefeated and made their way to the Grand Final against Marymede Catholic College.  Despite an injury to one of our midfielders, the young men adapted and were ready to take the game on.  With an exciting start, the team gave themselves a nice buffer kicking into the wind and leading into half time by 4 goals.  A couple of little tweaks saw them going into the second half with a lot of confidence and kicking with the wind, spirits were high.  Marymede  Catholic College were relentless but our backline stood strong and remained composed.  Our midfielders and forwards worked so hard to make sure that most possessions resulted in a conversion to goal.  Patterson River Secondary College won by 8 points which was a well-deserved result for their hard work all day and became the Year 7 AFL 9’s Premiers.  Congratulations to the following students; 

Georg C, Harrison D, Raph D, Lenny G, Marley M, Jackson M, Alexsander O, Eamon P, Baxter Q, Muhammad R, William R, Harrison S and Zayne S. 

Congratulations to the Year 8 Boys EXCEL Sport class who also competed on the day. The team adapted quickly to rules not usually suited to normal AFL, to win their pool with two wins and a draw to advance to the next stage of the competition. In the semi-final, they had a slow start and conceded the first two goals of the game, but after a brief chat and rev up, produced their best win of the day and came away 58-to-25-point winners over Marymede Catholic College. The final saw us take on Ringwood Secondary College and from the onset, it would seem they would have a significant height advantage over us. We were 25 points down, halfway through the second half but with some on field changes of positions, the boys rallied late and found themselves only 7 points down with time becoming a factor. Unfortunately, with a goal after the final whistle, Ringwood Secondary Collegeextended that margin to 13. All boys should hold their head high with how they performed on the day. 

I was also extremely proud of the way in which all teams conducted themselves on the day.  The young athletes did not engage in any negative banter spoken to them by other teams, nor did they argue with umpires’ decisions.  This shows that they respected themselves, their teammates, other competitors and especially our College and it’s values.  True signs of wonderful athletes and we were thrilled to be the teachers supervising and coaching them.    

Mrs. Brand 

Ultimate Frisbee Championships

On Tuesday 15th October, the Year 9 EXCEL Sport class competed in the Ultimate Frisbee State Championships in Parkville. This competition invites both Private and Government schools with overall medals and SSV Pennants up for grabs. The class had been practicing for several weeks and were excited to showcase their skills against schools from all over Victoria. The 2 girls’ teams played 4 x 22-minute games throughout the day, earning the right to compete in the State SSV Finals. The A team finished the day as the SSV State Champions. The B Team finished the day as the SSV State Champion Runners Up. The 2 boys team also played 4 games each in two different pools. The B team won the 7th place final 10-4 against McKinnon Secondary College. The A team finished their pool games undefeated and earned the right to play the other undefeated team Mt Lilydale Mercy College in the State Grand final. The Patterson River Secondary College boys play a sensational brand of Ultimate Frisbee in a close contest to take out the State Championship Gold Medal and SSV State Championship Title 6-5. They finished the day undefeated and beat very accomplished teams from both the Government and Non-Government sectors. A fantastic achievement by the whole class. Thank you to Ms. Brand for your assistance throughout the day. 

Ms. Allan 

National 12 Years and Under SSV Touch Football Tournament

Frankie C (7D) was selected in the Team Vic Touch Football 12 Years and Under Girl's Team to represent SSV at the School Sport Australia Championships which were held in Queensland, from 20 to 25 October 2024. The SSV Team Vic had a very successful tournament beating SA 4-0, ACT 6-3 and NT 5-1. These results ensured the team played off for third place in the semi-finals against WA. Unfortunately, the SSV Team Vic lost this game but did finish 4th overall in the Australian Championships. A fantastic achievement. Frankie C was also selected to represent VIC Storm in the National Youth Championships in September. Well done Frankie on representing Victoria and Patterson River Secondary College. 

Year 9 EXCEL Sport High Performance Camp 

On Monday 14th October, the Year 9 EXCEL Sport class embarked on an exciting five-day camp around the sporting capital of Melbourne. The students were trained by the High-Performance staff at RSEA Park, toured the iconic MCG, ran around The Tan and participated in a draft combine testing experience from Rookie Me. Many facets of ‘being the best’ were covered, including strength and conditioning, recovery and nutrition. The students were given an opportunity to use many of the facilities and appreciate what life as an elite athlete looks like. A fantastic experience for both staff and students, which consolidated much of the learning of the past three years of the EXCEL Sport Program. A special thank you to Mr. McCormack, Mrs. Brand and Mr. Hayes for giving their time for the week.